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Keyboard shortcuts are a great way to speed up your workflow and improve task efficiency. In case you are using a browser like Chrome, it’s doubly important because shortcuts are deeply ingrained into how Chrome is supposed to be used. Google Chrome has a bunch of handy shortcuts which lets you open bookmarks, downloads, new tab, etc. Apart from that, there is a neat hack which lets you create custom shortcuts for several Chrome functions. So in this article, we are going to share 10 cool Google Chrome shortcuts you can inculcate in your daily browsing habit to increase productivity.

Google Chrome Shortcuts in 2019

Here, I have covered Chrome shortcuts for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Windows and Linux have identical keyboard layout so the shortcuts are the same for both the platforms. However, Mac has a slightly different keyboard layout having command (Cmd) in place of control (Ctrl) key. So make sure to replace the Ctrl key with the Cmd key in the shortcuts below. In case of other variations, I have mentioned Chrome shortcuts for Mac explicitly.

1. Manage Chrome Tabs and Windows

There are times when we hurriedly close an important tab and have no idea how to get it back. Well, you can use Ctrl+Shift+T to bring back the tab in the original state. Similarly, there are shortcuts to efficiently manage tabs and windows without any hassle. We have compiled basic shortcuts below so that you can use on Chrome without losing any time.

Open new tab: Ctrl+T

Open new window: Ctrl+N

Close current tab: Ctrl+W

Reopen Closed Tab: Ctrl+Shift+T

Close current window: Ctrl+Shift+W

Open Incognito Window: Ctrl+Shift+N

Switch chrome tabs: Ctrl+Tab

Switch chrome tabs on Mac: Cmd+Option+Right or Left arrow

Open link in a new tab: Ctrl+Click

Open link in a new window: Shift+Click

2. Webpage Shortcuts

You hit refresh button but nothing changes? Well, it’s because the webpage is loading the cached content. You can use Ctrl+Shift+R which refreshes the webpage from scratch discarding the cached content. There are other helpful shortcuts too which we have listed below which will help you expertly navigate the web pages you open on your Google Chrome browser.

Go back: Alt+Left arrow

Go forward: Alt+Right arrow

Go back on Mac: Cmd+[

Go forward on Mac: Cmd+]

Save the page: Ctrl+S

Print the page: Ctrl+P

Refresh the page: Ctrl+R

Refresh the Page Without Cached Data: Ctrl+Shift+R

Zoom in the page: Ctrl+Plus key

Zoom out the page: Ctrl+Minus key

Search the page: Ctrl+F

3. Google Chrome Functions

Here you can find the essential Chrome shortcuts for opening browsing history, downloads, bookmarks, etc with easy key combinations. No need to open Chrome’s menu and going through the hoops. Just use these shortcuts for some time and it will stick with you.

Open History: Ctrl+H

Open History on Mac: Cmd+Y

Open Downloads: Ctrl+J

Open Downloads on Mac: Cmd+Shift+J

Bookmark the current page: Ctrl+D

Open Chrome Task Manager: Shift+Esc

Jump to the Address Bar: Ctrl+L

4. Switch Chrome User

I use two Chrome profiles at my workplace and every time, I have to open the menu and go through the profile section to switch to my personal Chrome profile. But using Ctrl+Shift+M shortcut, I can easily change the user without touching the mouse. It’s really easy and I love it.

5. Perform Google Search from Anywhere

This handy shortcut has saved so much time for me. Just press Ctrl+K and you are ready to enter your search query. The best part is that you can be anywhere on a webpage and just summon Google search with this effective shortcut. Note that some web apps keep Ctrl+K shortcut for different actions (such as adding links). In those cases, this shortcut will not work.

6. Paste Without Formatting

This is a really useful shortcut if you copy content from the web but dread the text formatting that comes with it. Well, just press Ctrl+Shift+V and voila, you have plain text without weird composition in your word processor. Awesome, right?

7. Delete Browsing Data

Sometimes we are in a hurry and want to delete the browsing data instantly. Just press Ctrl+Shift+Del and you will be offered the “clear browsing data” window with a pre-selected time range of 1 hour. Now click on Clear data and you have deleted the browsing data in seconds.

8. Scroll Horizontally

There are times when we face horizontally laid out pages and we have no idea how to go about it. Well, just press and hold the shift button and scroll the mouse wheel. The web page will start scrolling horizontally. Now you should remember it the next face time you come across such web pages.

9. Open Chrome’s Menu and Settings

Many users hate the fact that there is no proper shortcut for opening the Settings page. Well, I have found this ingenious way you can open Settings page in no time. Just press Alt+E to open Chrome’s menu and then press “S” key to open Settings. You are welcome.

Note: This shortcut does not work on Mac.

10. Add “www” and “.com” to a site name in Address Bar

If you are too lazy to type out the whole URL, well Chrome has something for you. Type a site name in the address bar and hit Ctrl+Enter. It will directly open the relevant website. For example, if you type beebom and press Ctrl+Enter, Chrome will directly open www.beebom.com.

Create Your Own Google Chrome Shortcuts

Chrome has a great feature which lets user assign custom shortcuts toChrome extensions. For example, I use the Dark Reader extension to darken all the webpages. However, at times, the extension darkens the content of a webpage and it becomes harder to read. In that case, I have to jump through the hoops and turn off the dark reader toggle manually. But with this feature, I can assign a shortcut, say Ctrl+B to turn off dark mode instantly on any page.

1. To access the settings, open chrome://extensions/shortcuts and assign your custom shortcut key to the extension of your choice. Keep in mind, the shortcut should not conflict with other shortcut key combinations.

2. Besides that, you can use Shortkeys, a third-party extension to customize Chrome shortcuts. If you want to create your own keyboard shortcuts which you can remember easily, you can do so. In fact, you can disable all the native Chrome shortcuts and replace it with your own set of shortcuts.

Use Chrome to the Full Potential with Keyboard Shortcuts

We use Google Chrome at our own speed, but there are ways like keyboard shortcuts to enhance our workflow and be more productive. Keyboard shortcuts are useful not only for Chrome but for any application you work on. So it’s better to personalize it with our own preference. I hope you liked the Chrome shortcuts which are mentioned in this list. And if you want to create your own shortcuts, you can very well do that too. Anyway, if you found this article interesting, you can comment down below and let us know your thoughts.